


Treefood

by DyedViolet



Category: Yuppie Psycho
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Songfic, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 23:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20016397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DyedViolet/pseuds/DyedViolet
Summary: I've wanted to write a little something for Yuppie Psycho for a while now, and when I was going through an old playlist and found this song, I went "oh perfect, an excuse."The song is "Treefood" by That Handsome Devil, and everything in italics is the lyrics.





	Treefood

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write a little something for Yuppie Psycho for a while now, and when I was going through an old playlist and found this song, I went "oh perfect, an excuse."  
> The song is "Treefood" by That Handsome Devil, and everything in italics is the lyrics.

_ Wolves will eat the world _

_ Leave nothing but the bone _

_ The flesh will grow back _

_ The people will go _

Brian tastes bile at the back of his throat. What kind of company keeps homicidal employees locked away in an office? And now he's being told that there's more stuff like this? That it only gets worse? And it's his job to go to the heart of the problem?

He forces himself to relax his grip on his coffee, to keep the hot liquid from spilling out over his hand.

_ Enter golden sun _

_ Opening flowers _

_ Drinking from ponds _

_ Hanging around _

He explores the building and hates every second of it. He hates the squelch of every landmine he has to kill–hates that he can't bring himself to grab the pencil back to use again later. He faces off against the spider in the library, the horrible fusion of flesh and printer in HR. This Witch sure is fond of excessive limbs, isn't she?

_ I don't mind the sun in my eyes _

_ The smell of the sweat _

_ The buzz of the flies _

Between getting knocked around and the coffee raising his heart rate, he can smell blood at the back of his nose. He grabs some napkins on his next trip to the canteen, shoves them in his pocket. They're stiff and rough, but they're marginally better than used witch papers. And he refuses to leave a blood trail for the freaks here to find him by.

_ Death comes alive _

_ Death coming to life _

He gives the cereal box to the so-called goblin in the garden. Is that his fate, too, if he stays too long? Stay in Sintracorp one day too many, learn too much about the Witch, get too close to her minions, and your only choice is to loosen your grip just so you can cope. Cling to the hope that they'll take your sight and leave you alive, let you keep breathing without having to see them again.

_ Scared and alone _

_ Holding in close _

Brian hates that he's the only one who seems to really know about every horror in this building. Everyone who's still self-aware knows what's one their own floor, it seems, and maybe something on another as well. But have they spoken with mouths in the wall? Have they had their flesh chewed on by vicious fireflies? Have they boated over a pool of acid on something that can't quite be called a corpse? And he knows he's still only scratched the surface.

_ And I'll hold her tighter _

_ When she gets old _

Kate seems to be handling all this so much better than he is. Is it just because she's farther removed from it all? Or is the normal reaction to take it all in stride?

_ Fluffing our pillows _

_ Washing our clothes _

_ Eating our dinner _

_ Watching our shows _

Will he–will any of them–ever have a normal life again? Their apartments are technically in the building, but Brian doubts he'll ever see his. Doesn't even want to, if it's half as messed up as anywhere else here. Will he ever get to sleep in a room of his own room again?

_ I don't mind the sun in my eyes _

_ The smell of the sweat _

_ The buzz of the flies _

How long has he been in this building, by now? Was it three monstrosities he's faced off against, or four? He can't remember what order they've attacked him in. How many to go before this nightmare is over? He starts seeing a red mask in the corner of his eye when he passes a mirror. He doesn't look.

_ Death comes alive _

_ Death coming to life _

Brian has to catch himself when he starts thinking of this as routine. Just another threat to his life, just another piece in this ever-spiraling mystery. He has to shake his head, slap himself, anything to push away the numb-mindedness and dead-eyed acceptance he's seen in too many people's faces today.

_ I don't mind the sun in my eyes _

_ The smell of the sweat _

_ The buzz of the flies _

_ Death comes alive _

_ Death coming to life _

Then Hugo's party happens, and everything is too fast. Everyone's dead, or captured, or worse–he knows how many options there are in 'worse.' How is he not dead–? It's just luck that he's not dead yet. He scrambles from floor to floor, solving these damn convoluted puzzles, rescuing his friends with a plastic knife. He gulps. On one level, he knew the Witch's children were other people, but to see it for himself–was everything here once a person? He remembers the squelch of the landmines. He takes a napkin from his pocket, wiping the bile from the corners of his mouth.

_ The room fills with water _

_ And I'm floating inside _

_ I'll be alright _

It's both terrifying and liberating to be able to swim without fear of drowning. Brian's gained some unexpected powers today. It fits this place. Does it mean he's lost some of his humanity, too, like the other things in here with powers? He can feel the twin pinpricks of snakebite even after he's freed from the nightmare.

_ I'll be alright _

Is it bad that running along the back of a giant vengeful snake is the easiest thing he's done all day?

_ Rooms fill with water _

_ But I'm smiling inside _

Rei's laughter as she takes her seat out from Hugo's nose. It's… She's still a child. It sounds like the bells she wears in her hair. But with everything else today, it makes Brian want to shudder. His nose does end up bleeding, but only after Hugo knocks him to the floor. There's enough caffeine buzzing through him that it barely even hurts. He grabs his last napkin.

Rei laughs louder. Brian has to remind himself, despite her involvement, that she's just a kid.

_ I'll be alright _

Finally, he's free to leave. He's hopped up on so much coffee that his heart feels like a rabbit's just before it dies of fright. The poison gas from hours ago coats his mouth and throat. His eyes still sting from the briny water. He doesn't know if he'll be up at night because of the caffeine or because of the fear. His hands shake around the tight grip on his briefcase. He's a wreck.

He leaves.

_ I'll be alright _

He leaves a changed man.


End file.
